


Black Unicorn

by ABSedarian



Series: Thirty Worlds (AU Challenge) [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU Challenge, Challenge on Infinite Earths, F/F, Mythical Beings & Creatures, mythical creatures AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-13
Updated: 2015-05-13
Packaged: 2018-03-30 10:10:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3932821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABSedarian/pseuds/ABSedarian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Challenge on Infinite Earths / AU challenge</p>
<p>Day 6: Mythical Creatures</p>
<p>Princess Emma is out riding to escape her boring court life and comes across an unusual creature that behaves almost ... <i>human</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black Unicorn

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: not my characters

Princess Emma stopped her steed on the path when she heard a rustling in the underbrush not too far from her. She patted his neck and whispered soft words as she slowly and carefully slid one leather-clad leg over the saddle horn and dismounted fluidly, her boots only making a soft thud on the dirt road. 

“Let’s see what’s hiding there, shall we?” she muttered, resting her hand lightly on the pommel of her sword. “Whoever’s hiding in there, I suggest you come out,” she called out, not really expecting an answer. Probably just that insufferable Robin Hood or one of his smelly, unbathed men. 

There was more rustling, however, of something big getting louder and closer, something far bigger than just an outlaw. Unless of course it was Friar Tuck. Emma deemed it wise to take a step back, not wanting to take any chances. If she got into another scuffle with the outlaws, her mother would be very displeased. Then again, that wasn’t a new thing with the White Queen, who thought her daughter too unkempt, unruly, and very much too un-Princess-like. 

Snow wanted her to wear nice dresses and find a prince to marry — _"You're not getting any younger, Emma"_ — especially one that could further the prosperity of the White Kingdom — _"You know, the Sea Kingdom has great trade agreements with the far-off islands, don't you agree?"_ — and all Emma had wanted for all of her 25 years on this world had been freedom. 

Independence. 

Being allowed to be who she was. 

The underbrush parted and revealed a large head, dark as night, and sticking from its forehead was a beautifully twisted gleaming black horn, about the length of Emma’s arm from her elbow to the tips of her fingers. “B-But … that can’t be …” Emma stammered at the sight. “You’re a unicorn … a black unicorn … there are no black unicorns. Shouldn’t have eaten those mushrooms Red gave me …” 

The unicorn shook its head with a soft snort and Emma could have sworn that it rolled its dark, intelligent eyes at her. For some reason Emma had the feeling that the creature understood every word she said. Maybe the old tales were true and unicorns really _did_ have magic. “I should take you back home with me,” she continued. “Snow loves unicorns.” 

As soon as she had uttered that last part, the unicorn turned away to vanish back into the woods. “Wait,” Emma shouted, unwilling to have the enchanted meeting end so soon. She needed to explain that she didn't mean the creature any harm. “Snow is the Queen of the White Kingdom, you know,” she said, feeling a little stupid about talking to an animal. 

This time she could clearly see the eye roll. There was something practically human in the look the unicorn gave her. The creature blew her a raspberry, and Emma got the message loud and clear. “Well, that’s a surprise,” she said. “Usually all animals love Snow.” 

That earned her a definite shake of the head and a sound that smacked of indignation. _Stop treating this creature like a human being, Swan,_ Emma told herself. _It’s a unicorn, not your new best friend_. But the thought of befriending this beautiful unicorn that hated her mother gave Emma a warm feeling inside and made her chuckle softly. “My mother would be so mad if she knew you didn’t like her,” she told the creature. "She's convinced every being loves her, man or animal." Emma winced a little at the trace of bitterness in her own tone. 

The dark head cocked to the side, maybe in interest, maybe in question. “Snow is my mother,” Emma told the unicorn, and if there was a little exasperation in her tone this time, she ignored it. 

The creature gave her a very strange look, almost as if it was studying her, taking her measure. Emma got a little nervous because she was pretty certain that she wouldn’t stand a chance if the majestic animal decided to charge at her from this close. They kept staring at each other for long, long moments before the unicorn closed its eyes for a second, only to meet Emma's eyes straight on with a sad look that tore at Emma’s heart a moment later. 

“Who are you?” Emma asked softly, as her hand reached out in pure reflex to touch the unicorn’s sleekly muscular neck. “Who are you?” Her fingers made contact with the warm, soft side of the unicorn’s neck. The silky feel of the black mane between her fingers was unlike anything Emma had ever felt, but before she could get even remotely used to the feeling or take another step closer, the unicorn reared up — carefully missing Emma — turned and ran away, disappearing into the underbrush a few yards down the road. 

After a minute, the dust of the road settled and Emma began to wonder if she had imagined the encounter. Deep in thought, she mounted her white steed and rode back to the castle, her mind fixed on the magnificent creature the whole way. 

o-o-o 

Dinner that night was its usual formal affair with both the Queen and King and at least half the White Council in attendance. Emma didn't much care for these dinners at the best of times, but today her head was still in the forest. "So, what adventures did you go on today, Emma?" Red, Emma's godmother, asked. She knew how stifling the princess found court life. 

Emma was torn from her thoughts but managed to recover quickly. "I was out riding …” she replied automatically, but stopped herself before revealing anything she wasn’t ready to share. She remembered the unicorn's sad eyes and decided to keep its existence a secret from her mother. 

Snow gave her a curious look across the table. "Did something happen when you were out riding, sweetie?" she asked loudly, drawing everyone's attention and Emma's ire. She hated being the center of attention, not to mention being called a syrupy pet name in front of half the council. 

"No," she ground out through clenched teeth. "Nothing happened, mother." 

"Are you sure?" Snow insisted. "You look a little ... flustered." 

“Nothing. Happened. Mother," Emma repeated with as much finality in her tone as she could muster without sounding like a rebellious teenager. 

Red leaned close enough to Emma to not be easily overheard. "Want to tell me what happened to you? Did you meet somebody?" She waggled her eyebrows playfully. 

Emma had no idea why she was blushing at the implication. It wasn’t like she’d had an illicit meeting with some guy in the woods. She sighed, at war with herself. She trusted Red and she desperately wanted to know if her godmother had ever heard of a black unicorn in the forest, but she really didn't want her mother to overhear her since the unicorn seemed to dislike her so much. "Have you ever seen a black unicorn?" she finally murmured, so low Red had to strain to hear it. 

"A black unicorn?" Red asked back, much too loud for Emma's liking but it was too late now. "Are you saying that you saw the black unicorn today?" This question told Emma all she needed to know. The unicorn was special, and Red knew about it. 

Snow dropped her fork on her plate, causing Emma to look at her and realize that her mother had lost all color. Apparently, Red's voice had been loud enough to be heard across the table. Snow eyed Emma like a hawk, and even David next to her looked suddenly worried. The rest of the table had fallen equally silent. "Did you just say that you saw a black unicorn?" Snow's voice was uncommonly sharp and slightly shrill. 

Emma groaned. _Thank you, Red._ This was really not what she had hoped to gain by talking to Red, but she couldn't very well deny it now, although she was definitely going to try. "I'm not sure, really," she hedged. "I thought I did, but it could just as well have been a large horse. I only saw it from a great distance," she lied. 

Snow's shoulders sagged in relief. "Yes, it was probably just one of those wild mountain horses that find their way down here to the forest sometimes," she said with a fake smile and a forced cheeriness that didn't fool anyone. "Just out of curiosity," she continued far too casually to be honest, "where exactly were you when you saw the ... horse?" 

"About an hour's ride to the west, on that large meadow behind the lake," Emma replied, blatantly lying to her mother. Emma often relied heavily on her instincts, and right now every alarm bell in her mind screamed at her not to reveal the unicorn's true location. 

Something about the mood around the table, the furtive looks between the council members and her parents, their forced smiles, their stares, told Emma that it would be a good idea to excuse herself from dinner. She had lost all appetite anyway, so she put down her cutlery and pushed her chair back noisily. "I'm quite tired," she explained as she stood from the table. "I think I'm going to go to bed." 

She pretended to ignore the relief on her parents' faces as she turned and left. Outside, in the hallway, she took a sharp right turn and then another and ended up in an alcove behind an ugly stone statue of an imp. There, she opened a secret door and moved quietly to the listening spot she had discovered when she had been roaming the castle as a child. She doubted anyone but her knew about these hidden passages anymore, and she wondered — not for the first time — who had built them. 

"Do you think she actually saw her?" was the first thing she heard Red ask once she was settled. 

"I don't want to believe it," her father replied gravely, "but I guess it's possible." 

"I had so hoped she'd have fallen prey to something by now," her mother's voice said sharply, and Emma raised an eyebrow at the vicious undertone. _And who was the she they were talking about?_ "We should have killed her outright all those years ago, not leave it to Rumpelstiltskin to transform her as punishment." 

Emma gasped. _The unicorn had been a woman once? A woman who had made mortal enemies out of her parents? Who was she?_ She wished her spot afforded her a view of the table, so she could get some more visual clues. 

"He must have added something to the spell," Grumpy growled. "Something to protect her and keep her alive." 

"Too bad we can't ask him, seeing as Blue turned him into stone." That was Granny’s acerbic tone, Emma realized. "I shudder every time I walk past that ugly statue in the hallway." 

Emma looked back to the entrance of her secret passage. _That couldn't be, could it? Why would her parents use such dark magic as to turn people into mythical creatures or stone? Wasn't the Blue Fairy supposed to be doing good magic only?_

"What do we do about her?" Her father again. 

There was a short pause. Then Snow spoke in a deadly voice. "We're going to send the hunters out tomorrow at first light," she told everyone. "She brought it on herself by coming this close to our castle. She should have known better." 

"What do we tell Emma?" Red asked into the ensuing silence. 

_Yes, mother, what are you going to tell me?_

"Why would we tell Emma anything?" Snow asked back. "All she saw was a black _horse_. She has no idea that the … creature she thought she might have seen was once the Evil Queen." 

"People have long since forgotten about Queen Regina anyway, so Emma will have never even heard of her," Grumpy added with an audible shrug. “It’s been 25 years after all.” 

"And I want it to stay that way." Snow's voice was adamant. "Red, I need you to go into the mountains and bring back a black horse that we can show Emma if she gets it in her adventurous mind to go out and find it again." 

"I will lead the hunters tomorrow," Granny offered. “We’ll hunt her down, don’t worry.” 

Emma had heard enough to have her mind swirling. _The unicorn was the former queen? Someone she hadn't_ ever _heard about. No wonder she didn't like Snow. And she had been evil? What had she done that was so evil? Who_ was _she?_ She had so many more questions now than even before dinner. 

Emma quietly crept out of the hidden passage and walked quickly towards her room, but not without a long glance at the statue of the imp she had walked by without a second glance so many times before. Once in her room, she dressed in her most comfortable, warm riding clothes, packed a small leather satchel with things she thought she might need, grabbed her sword, and then climbed carefully out of the window. 

She had to go find the black unicorn and save it. 

She had to find _Regina_. 

_Save_ Regina. 

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> Next stop: Fairy Tales


End file.
